Small Miracles

We've had this dinner before, this quiche and salad combo: 


But what is special about this one is that I have a plate of fresh food in front of me on a frigid January 21st. As I write this, it is snowing and down to just 24 degrees. 

And yet. 

The chickens are laying (thanks to our adjustment of their light), the greens are growing (or at least remain in edible dormancy, thanks to our tending of the tunnels and cold frames). 

With gardens and life, this could all change with the weather. We won't see temperatures above freezing for the next week, and that could send our chickens into a dry spell. Single-digit nights could kill our mache and kale, regardless of the protection we've built. It's a harsh week ahead.

But this bit of a miracle on a plate reminds me that our ant-like diligence in summer pays off in the dark stretches of winter. There's a lot that comes our way on the wind that is out of our control, but we can still build a shelter against it to house the things we care about. 

And if it gets blown over, we can put it up again. 

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